Category Archives: Parenting

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Keep the Fire Burning

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I heard a truck in the driveway and the first thing I did was glance at the wood stove.

Was there wood in the stove or had I let the fire go out?

As is often the case, I had been caught up in my book-making and I had forgotten to tend the fire.

So, before Phil came in I quickly added wood and was sheepishly grinning when he entered the den.

After 38 years, Phil is accustomed to those sheepish grins. 🙂

Yes, I am easily distracted, yet when I am working on art, time literally slips away. I am totally immmersed in the creative process and I need reminders to fulfill my other responsibilites.

We do this spirtually as well. We can get so caught up in “doing” for God that we forget to “tend the fire.” What does it mean to “tend the fire” spiritually?

It means that we are re-stocking our lives with fuel from the Source, in other words making sure that we are receiving fresh spiritual food from God’s Word.

I have been a Christian for over 55 years, yet I can’t survive on old teaching from my past – as good as it was. Anyone who heats with wood will tell you – old wood burns up fast!

I need to allow Holy Spirit to speak to me with fresh insight for the current issues I face today. As I read the Bible, the Living Word, it feeds the flames of the spiritual fire within me.

John the Baptist spoke of this fire in Matthew 3:4-11. First, Matthew describes John’s appearence, unique to say the least.

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

John is referring to Jesus who soon after this came to John to be baptized. The Pharisees and Sadducees were students of the Law, but their fire had gone out. They were not producing “good fruit”, the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

I must be faithful to feed the spiritual fire within me through reading God’s Word, hearing Biblical teaching, and listening to the Holy Spirit within me. Only then will I have something of value to share with my children and grandchildren and other individuals in my life.

Feeding on the Word of God will keep my fire burning!

PS – Last year I had the special priveledge of speaking at the Women’s Retreat “Follow Him 2013”. I was so blessed by the wonderful ladies who came ready to hear God speak as He challenged us in our desire to Follow Him. Those of you who read this blog and live in Jackson County may be interested in attending this year’s retreat – “Serve Him 2014”. I have been invited to speak again and I have been convicted by what the Lord has given me to share. It is something I know God wants me to work on – so I have sensed the “fire burning.” If you would like more information – please contact Kandi Newkirk or Lorraine Arnold at 586-6008. The dates are Friday evening March 14th through Sunday morning March 16th and the location is the Hemlock Hills Gatlinburg Resort, Gatlinburg, Tenn.

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Watch Your Tongue!

all melted....

all melted….

“I hate women’s groups, I didn’t want to come today.”

“I have been so hurt by other women, I didn’t want to come to a ‘feel good’ session when I have been ripped open by women’s gossip and backstabbing…by CHRISTIAN women!”

These are among the comments shared by dear ladies at the end of our Women’s Conference this past weekend. They went on to say…..

“I am so glad I came. I know now that I am not the only one facing the challenges I am dealing with right now.”

“I feel free for the first time in so long, I am so thankful I came.”

I must say that I was surprised by the number of ladies who admitted that they didn’t want to come to the conference. Of the over 70 women that participated, I would venture a guess from a casual evaluation that maybe a third had reservations about attending.

Why?

Because they have been hurt by the words of their fellow Christians.

Hurt by woman who have
* gossiped about them,
* talked behind their backs,
* sometimes even openly judged them.

The hurt was clear in the voices and tears of these women who shared.

Why do we do that? Why do we hurt each other? Are we like wounded animals that lash out visciously to hurt someone else because we are hurting ourselves?

James addresses this very issue in James 1:26

26 Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.

James goes on to say in chapter 3:5-12

5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

Whoa!!!

This is quite an indictment on how we misuse our God given ability to communicate. Our tongues are “full of deadly poison”. Verse 10 says – “this should not be!”

This misuse of the tongue was exactly what those precious sisters were expressing. They had been poisoned by the words of other Christians and some of the wounds were still festering. They didn’t want to come to the Conference and have old wounds reopened.

Yet these women came to the Conference!

Why?

I believe it was because the Holy Spirit prompted them to come and receive the healing that they spoke about after admitting their initial reluctance to attend. These ladies shared through tears of joy that they were accepting God’s grace and healing.

The speaker for this Conference, Sheila Atchley, shared stories from the Bible about women who face much of what we face, even if it is 2000+ years later. She shared her own story and gave us a powerful testimony of God’s grace through trials. She challenged us as women to honestly share our stories, using our tongues to bless and encourage each other. I was so blessed by Sheila!

If we have been hurt – we must receive God’s healing grace and love.

If we have hurt someone else, we must ask for forgiveness and receive God’s healing grace and love.

I pray that we would be like the woman in Proverbs 31:26 (NLT)

26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.

Sheila Atchley is an artist who honors God with her beautiful creations. Check them out on Facebook:
Sheila Atchley Designs or Pinterest: Sheila Atchley

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Healing Prayer

My Parents - Clayton and Esther Barker

My Parents – Clayton and Esther Barker

My father, who will be 90 in May, was admitted to the hospital this week. I have been concerned because the tests he has undergone have been inconclusive about the cause of a blood clot which appeared to be hindering his liver function.

Yesterday I attended the service where two of our daughters and their families worship. I was touched deeply by the time of prayer that the pastor led for all of those who desired healing for themselves or a loved one. He asked us to stand to signify our need for healing.

I have received physical healing several times in my 62 years, and I know without a shadow of doubt that God’s power was at work in my life. Yet yesterday I was thinking about my father, and my dear friend Gloria, who is battling MS. I stood on their behalf.

The scripture that was shared came from Matthew 8: 14-17

14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.
16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”

The pastor focused on the importance of the part of verse 17 where the emphasis is “Jesus HIMSELF took our infirmaties and bore our sicknesses.” What a glorious truth!

We can come before our heavenly Father with boldness to ask for healing, knowing His son Jesus took our sickness with Him to the cross. We are always free to ask for God’s healing power to be manifest in times of illness.

But does God always heal?

Some would say that yes, ultimately even death is a form of “healing’ since God’s children are transported to His presence in death.

The answer is also “no”. We all have prayed for individuals who are still facing grave health concerns, some with considerable physical suffering.

At the service we then prayed for those seeking healing by laying on hands. Those of us who had expressed need sat, while those around us laid their hands on us and prayed. Our granddaughters and daughters prayed for my father – their grandfather and great-grandfather. One of our granddaughters said afterwards –
“Nana, bunches of people were praying with you!” That was a special blessing.

That evening I called my mother and found out that my father was released from the hospital that very afternoon. I called our daughters rejoicing with the good news. I asked them to be sure to tell their children and remind them that we prayed together and asked God to heal Great Grandpa.

As I rejoice with my family, I still am praying for Gloria, a precious, Godly woman who is facing the complications of MS with courage and grace. Her hope is in Jesus, who Himself bore our infirmities. I will continue to ask God to heal and restore Gloria because He is in control of the outcome and He is faithful.